![]() I know of the meme of j cole fans claiming that j cole albums are "personal" but I truly believe that 4 Your eyez only connects with the listener in a way no other album by him can.Jermaine Lamarr Cole (b. He doesn't believe he's worthy of the gift of fatherhood because of his past and wants to show his worthiness.Īnd then the title track is both jermaine's best song and possibly one of the greatest storytelling songs ever, and personally I think this goes without saying but I will go into detail if need be.Īltogether I think this album aged gracefully, in the past it was widely disregarded because it was a complete shift from forest hills drive, but I feel as if the themes and songs on this album surpass that of forest hills drive. The main character originally wanted to change for the woman he loved, his spouse, and this song solidifies his want to change with the birth of his daughter. ![]() Then she's mine 2 shows the next tonal shift and ending arc of this album. This song also has an amazing sample and story behind it that everyone should look into. Then we go into Neighbors the second radio hit and one of jermaine's best songs of all time, describing how the neighbors around him view him despite him attempting to change his ways. ![]() And then change shows the change that he wishes to make as well as eventually showing the death of one of jermaine's friends who we eventually learn is the main character of the story itself. We move on to She's Mine pt 1 which is the first tonal shift in the album, shifting from this staying in the hood mindset to a beautiful love song heralding the woman that made him want to change his ways for good. And the snippet with the little girl is powerful and shows the realness of this mentality Ville mentality shows the mindset that was shaped by people born in the hood with no way out. Deja Vu is one of the radio hits and is a great listen for casual listeners and fits into the album as the main characters encounter with the person that will eventually make him want to change his ways. For whom the bells toll is a perfect intro to this album and sets the tone immediately, Immortal is an aggressive track that both foreshadows the death of the main character as well as assesses the secondary theme of the album that "Real Niggas dont die" as the main character is preserved through this album with every listen. Each song was perfectly placed in this narrative and touched my heart in different ways, and while some people say foldin clothes is corny, having family and a girlfriend of 4 years really made me understand that that song is just appreciating the simple joys of doing things for a loved one. He gave us a perfect narrative of a black man trying to escape a lifestyle that was consuming him in favor of his loved ones. With that being said, 4 your eyez only is his most personal, his best, and possibly one of the few albums I'd ever call perfect. When I was a kid kid (I'm 17) I grew up on his Sideline Story hits, his Born Sinner hits, and then connected through the entirety of 2014 Forest Hills Drive (which turns 7 today btw) and his music was always connecting to me. J Cole is my favorite artist of all time, I can acknowledge his faults and can acknowledge the artists that are even better than him, but he connects to me personally in a way that no other artist has been able to. I was waiting on this Discussion post to give my thoughts on this album. Every time I hear someone say Cole isn't even in the same league as Kendrick, that song pops into my head and I think "well.maybe he is". I still think it's crazy how you don't fully realize he was rapping from his dead friend's perspective rather than his own until the very last verse on the final track. I'm not really the type of person who cries while listening to music, but the way he ends that song just fucks me up whenever I listen to it. That was without a doubt one of the greatest hip-hop songs of the decade. 1 & 2) really add to the whole "relaxed yet melancholic" vibe that makes this album perfect to listen to on late nights, and other little details like this are just really interesting.Īnd the title track.good lord. The interlude-esque tracks (She's Mine Pt. Not only is he getting introspective and consistently telling a story throughout the whole album, but he's also reaching into his never-ending bag of flows and switching between bangers (like Immortal) and slower, more melodic tracks (like Change) seamlessly. Cole really showed his versatility with this one. ![]() I honestly think this album is a classic.
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